Mubarak: Netanyahu wanted to resettle Palestinians in Sinai
Former Egyptian president dishes out dirt on regional leaders in new recordings
An Egyptian newspaper has published transcripts based on recordings of the country’s ousted president Hosni Mubarak airing his opinions of regional leaders during the last stretch of his prison sentence before his release in late August.
In the recordings, posted Sunday to the website of al-Youm al-Sabaa, the former president also speaks of his relationships with the American and Israeli governments.
Mubarak noted that a few months before he was removed from power he was approached by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who suggested that the population of Gaza be resettled in Sinai. Mubarak said he turned down the offer.
Mubarak was also recorded referring to “intensive trade” between Israel and Egypt in the days when Yitzhak Rabin served as prime minister.
The former president told those around him that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan “has no friends,” adding that “he used to be good friends with the Syrian regime, but things have turned.”
Mubarak also divulged that Egypt had prevented an assassination attempt on the Saudi Arabian King, Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz, ordered by his long-time foe, Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s former leader.
The new material, which includes a description by Mubarak of his strained relationship with Washington during his time in power, follows recordings published by another Egyptian newspaper in June in which Mubarak blamed US President Barack Obama for pressing him to relinquish his power during the 2011 uprisings against him.
Mubarak was recorded saying that he told the American president, “I do not take orders from you, and not from anyone, as far as the people of Egypt are concerned.”
Mubarak was released from prison in August after an appeal overturned his sentence, but is now facing another trial on charges related to the killings of some 900 protesters in the 2011 uprising.
